Dense urban environments are exposed to the combined effects of rising global temperatures and urban heat islands. This combination is resulting in increasing trends of energy consumption in cities, associated mostly with air conditioning to maintain indoor human comfort conditions. During periods of extreme summer weather, electrical usage usually reaches peak loads, stressing the electrical grid. The purpose of this study is to explore the use of available, high resolution weather data by effectively preparing a building for peak load management.The subject of study is a 14 floor, 620,782 sq ft building located in uptown Manhattan, New York City (40.819257 N, −73.949288 W). To precisely quantify thermal loads of the buildings for the summer conditions; a single building energy model (SBEM), the US Department of Energy EnergyPlus™ was used. The SBEM was driven by a weather file built from weather data of the urbanized weather forecasting model (uWRF), a high resolution weather model coupled to a building energy model. The SBEM configuration and simulations were calibrated with winter actual gas and electricity data using 2010 as the benchmark year. In order to show the building peak load management, demand response techniques and technologies were implemented. The methods used to prepare the building included generator usage during high peak loads and use of a thermal storage system. An ensemble of cases was analyzed using current practice, use of high resolution weather data, and use of building preparation technologies. Results indicated an average summer peak savings of more than 30% with high resolution weather data.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


Objective
Conduct a systematic evaluation of indoor and outdoor areas of selected airports, assess compliance and identify areas of improvement with smoke-free policies in airports.

Methods
Cross-sectional observational study conducted at 21 airports in Europe (11) and the United States (10). Using a standardized protocol, we assessed compliance (smoking, cigarette butts, smoke smell), and the physical environment (signage, ashtrays, designated smoking rooms [DSRs], tobacco sales).

Results
Cigarette butts (45% vs. 0%), smoke smell (67% vs. 0%), ashtrays (18% vs. 10%), and DSRs (63% vs. 30%) were observed more commonly indoors in Europe than in the United States. Poor compliance indoors was related to the presence of DSRs (OR 4.8, 95% CI 0.69, 33.8) and to cigarettes sales in pre-security areas (OR 6.0, 95% CI 0.57, 64.7), although not significantly different. Smoking was common in outdoor areas of airports in Europe and the United States (mean (SD) number of smokers 27.7 (23.6) and 6.3 (7.7), respectively, p value < .001). Around half (55%) of airports in Europe and all airports in the United States had some/partial outdoor smoking restrictions.

Conclusions
Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) remains a public health problem in major airports across Europe and in some airports in the United States, specifically related to the presence of DSRs and SHS exposure in outdoor areas. Airports must remove DSRs. Research is needed in low- and middle-income countries and on the effectiveness of outdoor smoking-restricted areas around entryways. Eliminating smoking at airports will protect millions of people from SHS exposure and promote social norms that discourage smoking.

Implications
Airports are known to allow exceptions to smoke-free policy by providing DSRs. We found that smoking still occurs in indoor areas in airports, particularly in the context of DSRs. Smoking, moreover, is widespread in outdoor areas and compliance with smoking restrictions is limited. Advancing smoke-free policy requires improvements to the physical environment of airports, including removal of DSRs and implementation of stricter outdoor smoking restrictions.


Hierarchical reinforcement learning (HRL) has recently shown promising advances on speeding up learning, improving the exploration, and discovering intertask transferable skills. Most recent works focus on HRL with two levels, i.e., a master policy manipulates subpolicies, which in turn manipulate primitive actions. However, HRL with multiple levels is usually needed in many real-world scenarios, whose ultimate goals are highly abstract, while their actions are very primitive. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a diversitydriven extensible HRL (DEHRL), where an extensible and scalable framework is built and learned levelwise to realize HRL with multiple levels. DEHRL follows a popular assumption: diverse subpolicies are useful, i.e., subpolicies are believed to be more useful if they are more diverse. However, existing implementations of this diversity assumption usually have their own drawbacks, which makes them inapplicable to HRL with multiple levels. Consequently, we further propose a novel diversity-driven solution to achieve this assumption in DEHRL. Experimental studies evaluate DEHRL with nine baselines from four perspectives in two domains; the results show that DEHRL outperforms the state-of-the-art baselines in all four aspects.


Art in the Service of Science.- Art in the Service of Science.- Laser Cleaning of Paper.- Laser Cleaning Investigations of Paper Models and Original Objects with Nd:YAG and KrF Laser Systems.- Anti-Fungal Laser Treatment of Paper: A Model Study with a Laser Wavelength of 532 nm.- Observation of the Post-Processing Effects due to Laser Cleaning of Paper.- The Post-Processing Effects due to Pulsed Laser Ablation of Paper.- Laser Cleaning of Pressure Sensitive Tapes on Paper.- Chemistry of Parchment-Laser Interaction.- Laser Cleaning of Metal.- Femtosecond Laser Cleaning of Metallic Cultural Heritage and Antique Artworks.- Archaeological Ironwork: Removal of Corrosion Layers by Nd:YAG-Laser.- Laser Cleaning of Metal Surface - Laboratory Investigations.- 1320 nm Range Nd:YAG-Laser in Restoration of Artworks Made of Bronze and Other Metals.- Surface Cleaning of Iron Artefacts by Lasers.- Laser Cleaning Miscellaneous.- Experimental and Theoretical Indications on Laser Cleaning.- Er:YAG Laser Applications on Marble and Limestone Sculptures with Polychrome and Patina Surfaces.- Lasers Cleaning of Patrimonial Plasters.- Overpaint Removal on a Gilded Wooden Bas-Relief Using a Nd:YAG Laser at 1.064 m.- Pulsed Laser Cleaned Natural History Specimens with Reference to the Removal of Conductive Coatings.- Laser Cleaning Studies of Hard Insoluble Aluminosilicate Crusts on Minoan (LM IIIC) Pottery.- Laser Removal of Protective Treatments on Limestone.- Comparison of Cleaning Methods for Stained Glass Windows.- Results of Nd:YAG Laser Renovation of Decorative Ivory Jug.- Case Studies.- The Conservation Intervention on the Porta della Mandorla.- The Capability of the Laser Application for Selective Cleaning and the Removal of Different Layers on Wooden Artworks.- The Pilot Restoration Yard of the Church of San Frediano in Pisa: Results of a Multidisciplinary Study.- A Bronze Age Pre-Historic Dolmen: Laser Cleaning Techniques of Paintings and Graffiti (The Bisceglie Dolmen Case Study).- Side Effects.- Evaluating the Effectiveness of Lasers for the Removal of Overpaint from a 20th C Minimalist Painting.- Evaluation of Laser Cleaning of Parchment Documents with a Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser at 1064, 532 and 266 nm.- Cleaning of Soiled White Feathers Using the Nd:YAG Laser and Traditional Methods.- Surface Analysis of the Laser Cleaned Metal Threads.- Pigments, Conservation Layers.- The Effects of Laser Radiation on Adhesives, Consolidants, and Varnishes.- A Study on the Oxidative Gradient of Aged Traditional Triterpenoid Resins Using "Optimum" Photoablation Parameters.- Evaluation of the Effects of Laser Irradiation on Modern Organic Pigments.- Laser Paint Interactions Studied by Optical Emission Spectroscopy and Pump and Probe Analysis of the Ablation Plume.- Effects of Laser Irradiation on Artwork Pigments Studied by Laser Ablation and Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.- IR-Laser Effects on Pigments and Paint Layers.- Reaction of Historical Colours and their Components Irradiated at Different Nd:YAG Laser Wavelengths (?, 2?, 3?, 4?).- Visual Effect of Laser Cleaning on Orissan Murals.- Fundamentals, Innovative Methods.- Synchronous Use of IR and UV Laser Pulses in the Removal of Encrustation: Mechanistic Aspects, Discoloration Phenomena and Benefits.- Numerical Modelling of Laser Cleaning and Conservation of Artworks.- Laser Signal Dependence on Artworks Surface Characteristics: A Study of Frescoes and Icons Samples.- Pollution Encrustation Removal by Means of Combined Ultraviolet and Infrared Laser Radiation: The Application of this Innovative Methodology on the Surface of the Parthenon West Frieze.- Mossbauer and XRD Study of the Effect of Nd:YAG-1064 nm Laser Irradiation on Hematite Present in Model Samples.- Can Laser Microprobe Mass Analysis do any Work in Artwork Conservation?.- An X-Ray Microprobe for In-Situ Stone and Wood Characterization.- Non-Invasive Monitoring of Water Intake in Limestones.- Nd, Er and Excimer Laser Sources: Laboratory Evaluation of Cleaning Efficacy and of Interaction with Substrate.- Working Groups and Networks.- Euregio-Center of Expertise for Art Conservation Technology.- COST G7 Action Creates a Durable Instrument for Advanced Research Implementation in Artwork Conservation by Laser.- The Project OPTOCANTIERI: A Synergy between Laser Techniques and Information Science for Arts Conservation.- Spanish Thematic Network on Cultural Heritage.- Cleaning Stations and Process Control for Practise.- Laser Cleaning System for Automated Paper and Parchment Cleaning.- Laser Cleaning Monitored by a Spectroscopic Technique - Laboratory Investigations.- 1320 nm Range Nd:YAG-Laser in Restoration of Artworks Made of Bronze and Other Metals.- Surface Cleaning of Iron Artefacts by Lasers.- Laser Cleaning Miscellaneous.- Experimental and Theoretical Indications on Laser Cleaning.- Er:YAG Laser Applications on Marble and Limestone Sculptures with Polychrome and Patina Surfaces.- Lasers Cleaning of Patrimonial Plasters.- Overpaint Removal on a Gilded Wooden Bas-Relief Using a Nd:YAG Laser at 1.064 m.- Pulsed Laser Cleaned Natural History Specimens with Reference to the Removal of Conductive Coatings.- Laser Cleaning Studies of Hard Insoluble Aluminosilicate Crusts on Minoan (LM IIIC) Pottery.- Laser Removal of Protective Treatments on Limestone.- Comparison of Cleaning Methods for Stained Glass Windows.- Results of Nd:YAG Laser Renovation of Decorative Ivory Jug.- Case Studies.- The Conservation Intervention on the Porta della Mandorla.- The Capability of the Laser Application for Selective Cleaning and the Removal of Different Layers on Wooden Artworks.- The Pilot Restoration Yard of the Church of San Frediano in Pisa: Results of a Multidisciplinary Study.- A Bronze Age Pre-Historic Dolmen: Laser Cleaning Techniques of Paintings and Graffiti (The Bisceglie Dolmen Case Study).- Side Effects.- Evaluating the Effectiveness of Lasers for the Removal of Overpaint from a 20th C Minimalist Painting.- Evaluation of Laser Cleaning of Parchment Documents with a Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser at 1064, 532 and 266 nm.- Cleaning of Soiled White Feathers Using the Nd:YAG Laser and Traditional Methods.- Surface Analysis of the Laser Cleaned Metal Threads.- Pigments, Conservation Layers.- The Effects of Laser Radiation on Adhesives, Consolidants, and Varnishes.- A Study on the Oxidative Gradient of Aged Traditional Triterpenoid Resins Using "Optimum" Photoablation Parameters.- Evaluation of the Effects of Laser Irradiation on Modern Organic Pigments.- Laser Paint Interactions Studied by Optical Emission Spectroscopy and Pump and Probe Analysis of the Ablation Plume.- Effects of Laser Irradiation on Artwork Pigments Studied by Laser Ablation and Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.- IR-Laser Effects on Pigments and Paint Layers.- Reaction of Historical Colours and their Components Irradiated at Different Nd:YAG Laser Wavelengths (?, 2?, 3?, 4?).- Visual Effect of Laser Cleaning on Orissan Murals.- Fundamentals, Innovative Methods.- Synchronous Use of IR and UV Laser Pulses in the Removal of Encrustation: Mechanistic Aspects, Discoloration Phenomena and Benefits.- Numerical Modelling of Laser Cleaning and Conservation of Artworks.- Laser Signal Dependence on Artworks Surface Characteristics: A Study of Frescoes and Icons Samples.- Pollution Encrustation Removal by Means of Combined Ultraviolet and Infrared Laser Radiation: The Application of this Innovative Methodology on the Surface of the Parthenon West Frieze.- Mossbauer and XRD Study of the Effect of Nd:YAG-1064 nm Laser Irradiation on Hematite Present in Model Samples.- Can Laser Microprobe Mass Analysis do any Work in Artwork Conservation?.- An X-Ray Microprobe for In-Situ Stone and Wood Characterization.- Non-Invasive Monitoring of Water Intake in Limestones.- Nd, Er and Excimer Laser Sources: Laboratory Evaluation of Cleaning Efficacy and of Interaction with Substrate.- Working Groups and Networks.- Euregio-Center of Expertise for Art Conservation Technology.- COST G7 Action Creates a Durable Instrument for Advanced Research Implementation in Artwork Conservation by Laser.- The Project OPTOCANTIERI: A Synergy between Laser Techniques and Information Science for Arts Conservation.- Spanish Thematic Network on Cultural Heritage.- Cleaning Stations and Process Control for Practise.- Laser Cleaning System for Automated Paper and Parchment Cleaning.- Laser Cleaning Monitored by a Spectroscopic Technique - Experimental Data on The Gotlandic Sandstone Case.- From the Research Lab to the Restoration Yard: Practical Procedures to Evaluate in situ the Use of Laser Cleaning on Facades.- Sensor Concept for Controlled Laser Cleaning via Photodiode.- Ultra-Stable, New Generation Q-Switched Monolithic Laser Cleaners for Fine Art Conservation.- Spectroscopy for Monitoring and Identification.- Analysis of Archaeological Objects with LMntI, a New Transportable LIBS Instrument.- Spectroscopic Monitoring of the Laser Cleaning Applied to Ancient Marbles from Mediterranean Areas.- Laser Diagnostics.- Artwork Monitoring by Digital Image Correlation.- A 3D Scanning Device for Architectural Relieves Based on Time-Of-Flight Technology.- Surface Roughness Relief.- Integration of Imaging Analysis and 3D Laser Relief of Artworks: A Powerful Diagnostic Tool.- Parallel Acquisition of 3-D Surface Coordinates and Deformations by Combining Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry and Optical Topometry.- Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometry Application to Artworks: New Acoustic and Mechanical Exciters for Structural Diagnostics.- Supporting the Restoration of the Minerva of Arezzo.- Comparative Holography in the Conservation Structural Diagnosis: An El Greco Exemplary Exploitation.- A Case Study of Frescoes Diagnostics by Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometry (SLDV): The Brumidi Corridors and The President's Room at The United States Capitol.


An exothermic reaction between MgB2 and water was observed in our laboratory at high temperature, although no obvious reaction occurred at room temperature. The reaction process of MgB2 and water was therefore studied by using microcalorimetry. The results showed that the reaction enthalpies of MgB2 with water and the formation enthalpies of MgB2 at T = (323.15, 328.15, 333.15 and 338.15) K are (–313.15, –317.85, –322.09, –329.27) kJ?mol–1, and (–238.96, –237.73, –236.50, –234.30) kJ●mol–1, respectively. The standard enthalpy of formation and standard molar heat capacity of MgB2 obtained by extrapolation method are –245.11 kJ●mol–1 and 246 J●mol–1●K–1, respectively. The values of activation energy E, pre-exponential factor A and the reaction order for the reaction of MgB2 and water over the temperature range from 323.15 K to 338.15 K are 50.80 kJ●mol–1, 104.78 s–1 and about 1.346, respectively. The positive values of ΔG≠ and ΔH≠ and negative value of ΔS≠ indicate that the reaction can take place easily above 314.45 K.


Latin America Transformed, explains the region's economic, political, social and cultural transformations, its association with globalization and the search for modernity, and contributes to a greater understanding of how these transformations are affecting the people of Latin America. Using a political economy approach to unravel the concepts of globalization and modernity within Latin America, emphasis is placed on interpreting the macro-level structures that frame the transformations taking place. The book also investigates the dynamics of people's livelihoods as they make sense of, rework and live out these structural transformations.


Introduction
Religious needs of patients are consistently being neglected in the clinical medicine. Pastoral care is a religious support which a religious patient receives from priests, chaplains, imams, rabbis or other religious authorities. Religious support, in terms of clinical medicine, is a spiritual support which religious patients obtain from religious and trained medical workers. The aim of this report was to present the effects of pastoral care and religious support in hospital treatment of a 73-year-old patient with the severe form of osteoarthritis.

Case report
The 73- year-old, highly religious patient with severe form of osteoarthritis was admitted at the Clinic for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Military Medical Academy in Belgrade, due to heterogeneous problems in the activities of daily living. The patient walked with difficulty using a stick, suffered pain, and was anxious and depressive. In order to objectively demonstrate effects of both pastoral care and religious support in this patient we performed multiple treatment with reversal design, in which the basic treatment consisting of hospital care, pharmacotherapy and physical therapy (the treatment A) was alternatively changed with the treatment that included combination of the basic treatment and religious support provided by religious physiatrist and physiotherapist (the treatment B) or combination of the basic treatment and pastoral care provided by military priest (the treatment C). The treatment A was applied three times and lasted two weeks, every time. Treatments B and C were applied once and lasted three weeks, each. The order of the treatments was: A→B→A→C→A. During the whole treatment period the patient's condition was assessed by several measuring scale: the level of depression by The Hamilton Rang Scale for Depression and The Zung Self Rating Depression Scale; the level of anxiety by The Zung Self Rating Anxiety Scale; the functional capability of patient by The Barthel Index and The Functional Independent Measure. Measuring was carried out on a daily basis. In statistical analysis two nonparametric statistic were used: the percentage of non-overlapping data (PND) and the percentage of data points exceeding the median (PEM). PND and PEM values below 0.7 reflect questionable effectiveness of the treatment. The values between 0.7 and 0.9 reflect moderate effects. The values above 0.9 are considered as a highly effective treatment. The anxiety of the patient was moderately to significantly reduced after introducing religious support (treatment B: mean and mean deviation = 50.1 ± 10.89; variability = 4.598653; mean shift = 0.219626; PND = 0.6; PEM = 0.9) and pastoral care (treatment C: mean and mean deviation = 53.5 ± 5.90; variability = 9.062591; mean shift = 0.207407; PND = 0.9; PEM = 0.9). The patient's depression was reduced after introducing pastoral care (treatment C: mean and mean deviation = 51.3 ± 4.66; variability = 10.99005; mean shift = 0.08881; PND = 0; PEM = 0.9). On the contrary, the patient's functional capability was not significantly improved.

Conclusion
In the highly religious patient with severe osteoarthritis pastoral care and religious support, applied along with the standard medical treatment of this condition, produced some beneficial effects on anxiety and depressive mood, but with no significant effect on patient's functional capability.


Human iPSC-derived kidney organoids have the potential to revolutionize discovery, but assessing their consistency and reproducibility across iPSC lines, and reducing the generation of off-target cells remain an open challenge. Here, we used single cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) to profile 415,775 cells to show that organoid composition and development are comparable to human fetal and adult kidneys. Although cell classes were largely reproducible across iPSC lines, time points, protocols, and replicates, cell proportions were variable between different iPSC lines. Off-target cell proportions were the most variable. Prolonged in vitro culture did not alter cell types, but organoid transplantation under the mouse kidney capsule diminished off-target cells. Our work shows how scRNA-seq can help score organoids for reproducibility, faithfulness and quality, that kidney organoids derived from different iPSC lines are comparable surrogates for human kidney, and that transplantation enhances their formation by diminishing off-target cells.


This study evaluated a group of 15 low-weight pregnant women, who underwent prenatal medical examinations at a City Health Center on the outskirts of Botucatu-SP, using the "Rosso Curve", and compared them with a group of 8 normal-weight pregnant women, also screened by the same institution at the same prenatal service. We verified that the children born from normal-weight pregnant women weighted an average 118 g more than those of low-weight pregnant women. Independent of the mother's weight, those born from mothers whose height was greater than 155 cm and were non-smokers weighed more. Pregnant women of normal weight had, on average, an additional 2 weeks of pregnancy: Amongst those born of low weight pregnant women, we noted a connection between medium birth weight and an increase on the uterine height curve X gestational age. There was no connection between maternal anemia and interpartial intervals less than to 2 years and birth weight.


This paper describes the design of a vehicular controller area network (CAN) bus system with an application of active noise control (ANC) for engine exhaust systems. The work includes two parts: the first part is the design and implementation of a CAN bus platform system; the second is an application of ANC to an engine exhaust system which utilizes the CAN network implementation. The proposed ANC uses the adaptive control algorithm with engine speed as a reference. Most of the conventional methods for ANC involve primarily an adaptive filter with the least-mean-square (LMS) error algorithm. Unfortunately, convergence speed is often limited when a sound source or a filtering plant varies, because the learning process of the adaptive algorithm fails to respond quickly to the changing operational conditions. In this study, a variable step-size affine-projection algorithm (VSS-APA) is proposed. The proposed VSS-APA filtering algorithm is a combination of the variable step-size convergence algorithm and the affine-projection algorithm (APA). The controller is implemented on the proposed CAN bus system. Experiments are carried out to evaluate the noise attenuation performance at various engine speeds. The experimental results indicated that the ANC system achieved the noise attenuation in an engine exhaust system by using the proposed CAN bus system.


Macrophages clear millions of apoptotic cells daily and, during this process, take up large quantities of cholesterol. The membrane transporter ABCA1 is a key player in cholesterol efflux from macrophages and has been shown via human genetic studies to provide protection against cardiovascular disease. How the apoptotic cell clearance process is linked to macrophage ABCA1 expression is not known. Here, we identified a plasma membrane-initiated signaling pathway that drives a rapid upregulation of ABCA1 mRNA and protein. This pathway involves the phagocytic receptor brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor 1 (BAI1), which recognizes phosphatidylserine on apoptotic cells, and the intracellular signaling intermediates engulfment cell motility 1 (ELMO1) and Rac1, as ABCA1 induction was attenuated in primary macrophages from mice lacking these molecules. Moreover, this apoptotic cell-initiated pathway functioned independently of the liver X receptor (LXR) sterol-sensing machinery that is known to regulate ABCA1 expression and cholesterol efflux. When placed on a high-fat diet, mice lacking BAI1 had increased numbers of apoptotic cells in their aortic roots, which correlated with altered lipid profiles. In contrast, macrophages from engineered mice with transgenic BAI1 overexpression showed greater ABCA1 induction in response to apoptotic cells compared with those from control animals. Collectively, these data identify a membrane-initiated pathway that is triggered by apoptotic cells to enhance ABCA1 within engulfing phagocytes and with functional consequences in vivo.


The phenomenon of low-temperature homogenization (LTH) during interdiffusion is studied under condition a t Dv £ 2 / 1 ) ( (Dv is the bulk diffusion coefficient, a is the lattice parameter) using nano-objects of binary Cu-Ni and Cr-Ni systems compacted from nano-powders and produced by mechanical alloying. Two stages of LTH were detected: at the first stage (t £ 103 s) the volume fraction of solution rapidly grows; at the second stage (t > 103 s) the volume fraction of solutions grows slowly with practically constant average solution concentration. The first stage of LTH correlates with active grain growth caused by small size (l) of structural element and nonequilibrium structure of nano-objects. Obtained results are analyzed theoretically in terms of interdiffusion along migrating GBs due to grain growth at the first stage and DIGM mechanism at the second stage. It is shown that the GB concentration distribution during interdiffusion along migrating GBs and the kinetics of LTH depend on a parameter l/l where 2 / 1 ) / ( b b V sD d l= is the characteristic diffusion length. The mechanisms and criteria of LTH are proposed.


Wave exposure plays a major role in shaping the ecological structure of nearshore communities, with different community types able to survive and/or thrive when typically exposed to different levels of wave energy. This can be quantified by taking direct field measurements with wave buoys over time and then manipulating the data to derive typical conditions. However, taking these measurements is only feasible for very limited areas due to logistical constraints, and generating them with numerical wave models can also be expensive to run and may require data inputs that are either lacking or are highly uncertain. Instead, the relative differences in wave exposure between places (relative wave exposure) may be sufficient to distinguish between different community types. It is possible to approximate relative wave exposure using a cartographic approach. Typically this involves measuring the relative shelter or openness of a particular location based on the distances from it to the nearest potential wave blocking obstacle in all directions with provides an approximation of fetch. Given that dominant wind speed and direction data is available for a particular site, these fetch distances can be manipulated to estimate the potential wave climate at that site, with some models going as far as to link this to linear wave theory in order to calculate wave power. This works because the extent to which large waves can form, and to which seas are 'fully developed', is constrained by wind velocity, time and fetch. Mapping relative wave exposure in this relatively simple way could be used to predict the spatial distribution of broad categories of ecological community types, especially where this information is difficult to collect using more direct methods. Despite its relative efficiency and simplicity, running a cartographic-based relative exposure model for more than a local study area quickly becomes computationally intensive, which drives the need to set up the model to run as quickly as possible while minimizing the risk of not detecting potential wave blocking obstacles, and thus underestimating the wave exposure. Yet surprisingly, no studies have tested the sensitivity of the relative wave exposure estimates that these models produce to variation in how key factors, such as the density of points from which fetch distances are measured (point spacing), the angle increment at which the fetch lines are drawn around each point (fetch angle spacing), and the adjustment of fetch line lengths based on bathymetry, are set in the model. This paper presents a preliminary analysis that shows the extent to which estimated relative wave exposure changed when the above model settings were varied for four case study areas within the Great Barrier Reef selected for their characteristic spatial arrangement (number and density) of obstacles. This was done using a new GIS-based generic model for estimating relative wave exposure (GREMO) which integrates many existing techniques into a single modeling platform.


An intelligent interconnection network with fine-grain parallelism is described that has the potential to support efficient, scalable algorithms running on associated coarse- grain processors. The approach is relevant to the emerging computational cluster systems. The support of concurrent operations within the network is discussed and their mapping onto smart-pixel array network interfaces is shown. Choices are considered in the design of the free-space optical interconnect that enables the inter-smart-pixel-array communication. In particular, a system that uses multi- element macro-lenses is studied and results of detailed modeling are given that quantify the smart-pixel density. These results are used, in an illustrative case study of the sorting problem, to compare potential system architectures. This is work in progress and throughout the paper, important issues in the design and use of the intelligent interconnect are raised that require more study.


The influence of the compaction-induced stress (CIS) is experimentally, numerically and analytically evaluated on the behavior of reinforced soil walls (RSWs), under working stress conditions. Experimental studies have been carried out to evaluate the effect of the compaction condition at the back of the block facing on the behavior of geosyntheticreinforced soil walls using three large-scale geosynthetic-reinforced soil walls constructed at the COPPE/UFRJ Geotechnical Laboratory. The numerical analyses have been carried out using the two-dimensional finite difference computer program FLAC to verify the influence of the compaction modelling procedure at the end of construction as well as post-construction performance of a full-scale geosynthetic-reinforced soil, GRS, segmental wall under surcharge loading. Two procedures for modelling the CIS found in the literature were employed in the analyses. Moreover, the calculated values using two design methods have been compared to the measurements and numerically calculated maximum reinforcement load, Tmax, to evaluate the prediction accuracy of these methods when the value of the CIS is relevant.


Water vapor jet assisted metal cutting is a pollution-free green cutting technique. This paper has developed a three dimensional finite element model of water vapor jet assisted cutting in order to understand the influence of its cooling and lubricating effect on cutting process. The cooling effect of water vapor jet is modeled with a convective heat transfer coefficient. A window with the temperature and the heat transfer coefficient of water vapor jet, which can move at the same speed as the tool, has been defined on the tool face so as to continuously simulate cooling process of the cutting zone under water vapor jet condition. Friction contact between tool and chip is modeled by a constant shear model. The shear friction factor with different values has been set to study the influence of lubricating effect of water vapor jet. Simulation results show that compared with its cooling effect, the lubricating effect of water vapor jet is more effective to reduce cutting force and tool temperature. A further improvement in the lubricating effect of water vapor jet also results in an obvious reduction in cutting force and tool temperature. The findings obtained in this study may provide helpful information for developing water vapor jet assisted cutting process.


Brain-machine interfaces (BMI) are powerful devices for restoring function to people living with paralysis. Leveraging significant advances in neurorecording technology, computational power, and understanding of the underlying neural signals, BMI have enabled severely paralyzed patients to control external devices, such as computers and robotic limbs. However, high-performance BMI currently require highly invasive recording techniques, and are thus only available to niche populations. Here, we show that a minimally invasive neuroimaging approach based on functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging can be used to detect and decode movement intention signals usable for BMI. We trained non-human primates to perform memory-guided movements while using epidural fUS imaging to record changes in cerebral blood volume from the posterior parietal cortex – a brain area important for spatial perception, multisensory integration, and movement planning. Using hemodynamic signals acquired during movement planning, we classified left-cued vs. right-cued movements, establishing the feasibility of ultrasonic BMI. These results demonstrate the ability of fUS-based neural interfaces to take advantage of the excellent spatiotemporal resolution, sensitivity, and field of view of ultrasound without breaching the dura or physically penetrating brain tissue.


Resources to support TPC unit - Examine issues in contemporary Australian society (NSWTHMN302A) Resources for topics or competencies in this course


Recombinant tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a cytokine that induces proliferation of neoplastic B cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). To gain insight into the mechanisms involved in regulating TNF responsiveness, we have examined TNF receptor expression on neoplastic B-CLL cells. We have demonstrated that freshly isolated neoplastic B cells from patients with CLL did not express TNF receptors. After 1 day of incubation in culture medium, TNF receptors were detectable in the range of 540 to 1,500/cell. Kinetic experiments revealed that receptor expression was half-maximal after 3 hours of culturing and required de novo protein synthesis. The Scatchard plots of TNF-alpha binding indicated a single set of high-affinity TNF receptors with a dissociation constant of 70 pmol/L. TNF receptor expression in vitro was found in all examined cases. All cytokines tested, with the exception of IL-2, did not influence the expression of TNF receptors. The TNF receptor expression is enhanced in B-CLL cells cultured in the presence of interleukin-2 when compared with the receptor expression of cells cultured in medium alone. Our data suggest that neoplastic B-CLL cells in patients with stable disease do not express TNF receptors in vivo and that an unknown mechanism suppressing TNF receptor expression in vivo may play a role in growth regulation of neoplastic B cells.


Using the 2010 pilot study of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI), the authors examine the socioeconomic and behavioral risk factors for poor cardiovascular health among middle-aged and older Indians, focusing on self-reported and directly measured hypertension. The LASI pilot survey (N=1,683) was fielded in four states: Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, and Rajasthan. These four states were chosen to capture regional variations and socioeconomic and cultural differences. They find significant inter-state differences across multiple measures of cardiac health and risk factors for hypertension, including body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and health behaviors. In contrast to the findings from developed countries, they find education and other markers of higher socioeconomic status (SES) to be positively associated with hypertension. Among the hypertensive, however, they find that those at higher SES are less likely to be undiagnosed and more likely to be in better control of their blood pressure than respondents with low SES. They also find significant inter-state variations in hypertension prevalence, diagnosis, and management that remain even after accounting for socio economic differences, obesity, and health behaviors. They conclude by discussing these findings and their implications for public health and economic development in India and the developing country context more generally.


Under U.S. Supreme Court cases Argersinger v. Hamlin and Alabama v. Shelton, the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution requires the provision of defense counsel to an indigent defendant for any charge that, if proved, actually leads to imprisonment or is punished by a suspended sentence that subsequently could lead to imprisonment. This article uses St. Louis as a case study to demonstrate that unconstitutional criminal procedures and underfunded public defender's offices create no-lawyer-courts—courts that unconstitutionally allow defendants to go unrepresented. In a period of observation spanning 2014-2016, we found that St. Louis courts violated the right to counsel in misdemeanor prosecutions through lengthy confinements and exorbitant bonds, abusive plea bargaining practices, invalid waivers, and unconstitutional sentences. Drawing from court observations and electronic data, this study highlights how constitutional doctrine's grant of procedural discretion to lower courts imposes injustice on poor and minority communities in practice.


We describe a new surgical treatment of atrophic nonunion of the clavicle. The nonunion is excised by cuts at 45° to the long axis and repair uses 3.5 mm pelvic reconstruction or dynamic compression plates, with a lag screw to provide interfragmentary compression. The site is grafted with cancellous bone. We have been successful in all seven patients, with early return to normal function. The consequent narrowing of the shoulder girdle is fully acceptable for appearance and function.


ABSTRACT Mutations in the genes that encode Fas or Fas ligand (FasL) can result in poor restraints on lymphocyte activation and in increased susceptibility to autoimmune disorders. Because these mutations portend a continuously activated immune state, we hypothesized that they might in some cases confer resistance to infection. To examine this possibility, the immune response to, morbidity caused by, and clearance of vaccinia virus (VACV) Western Reserve was examined in 5- to 7-week-old Fas mutant (lpr) mice, before an overt lymphoproliferative disorder was observable. On day 6 after VACV infection, C57BL/6-lpr (B6-lpr) mice had decreased morbidity, decreased viral titers, and an increased percentage and number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. As early as day 2 after infection, B6-lpr mice had decreased liver and spleen viral titers and increased numbers of and increased gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production by several different effector cell populations. Depletion of individual effector cell subsets did not inhibit the resistance of B6-lpr mice. Uninfected B6-lpr mice also had increased numbers of NK cells, γδ+ T cells, and CD44+ CD4+ and CD44+ CD8+ T cells compared to uninfected B6 mice. Antibody to IFN-γ resulted in increased virus load in both B6 and B6-lpr mice and eliminated the differences in viral titers between them. These results suggest that IFN-γ produced by multiple activated leukocyte populations in Fas-deficient hosts enhances resistance to some viral infections.


This paper explores how the coherence between a lexical item which denotes a category and the lexical items that refer to individual members of the category can be expressed in explanatory dictionaries. A detailed analysis is provided of the relationship between the lexical item monster (which refers to a category) and the lexical items that refer to individual members of this category (e.g., Cyclops, dragon, mermaid, vampire, werewolf, Dracula, and zombie). More specifically, the goal of the paper is to determine whether the semantic explanation(s) for monster could function as a dictionary internal (as opposed to Fillmore's (2003) external) cognitive frame for the other lexical items in the monster set. If not, the question is whether and how the field of monsterology could assist one in designing such a frame and what the content, structure and function of such a frame would be. In Section 2.1 the focus falls on current lexicographic practices and problems in defining the category monster and its members. The dictionary entries for monster and those of a number of its members in a selection of English explanatory dictionaries are surveyed to determine what cognitive models of the category monster underlie these definitions. In Section 2.2 the focus falls on the definitional features, ICM'S and narrative structures used to define the category of the monster in the field of monsterology and on the numerous meanings monsters may have as symbolic expressions (metaphors in particular). Section 3 shortly summarizes the contribution monsterology could make towards the definition of a monster frame.


The growing knowledge of cell biology and evidence for the role of β-catenin signalling network in homeostasis and carcinogenesis encourages further investigation into the regulatory network of nuclear β-catenin signalling complex. While the role of canonical Wnt signalling in the development of both normal tissue and malignant tumours is well documented, the molecular basis of these functionally distinct nuclear transcriptional programs is poorly understood. Many proteins are associated with cytoplasmic β-catenin for regulation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway activities. However, in the nucleus, the LEF/TCF family of transcription factors, which have DNA binding properties, remains the sole focus as unambiguous partners of β-catenin.

In addition to LEF/TCFs, interaction of β-catenin with several other transcriptional co-activators and/or co-repressors is required for gene regulation. This regulation may also be influenced by alterations of β-catenin protein such phosphorylation of β-catenin which dramatically alters its trafficking and function. Delineation and functional description of nuclear cofactors that interact with unphosphorylated (i.e. nuclear) β-catenin will further unravel the mechanisms of β-catenin-mediated nuclear transcription, and may also identify whether distinct patterns of transcriptional cofactors are engaged in normal development versus tumour progression.

Human FLYWCH1, a conserved member of the mammalian C2H2 zinc finger proteins, was identified as one of the phosphorylation-independent Catenin- Interacting-Proteins (CIPs) in a recent screening performed in Dr Nateri's laboratory using a modified yeast-2-hybrid RRS. FLYWCH1 is a previously uncharacterized protein with no known function in mammals. Herein, we have shown that; i) in human cells, FLYWCH1 physically interacts with β-catenin and represses its transcriptional activity, ii) it regulates the expression of some if not all downstream target genes, iii) in the intestine, Flywch1 marks the crypt-based columnar-cells (CBCs), which function as stem cells, but does not mark any of the differentiated cells in normal villi, iv) FLYWCH1 expression is strongly down-regulated in CRC cell lines but its expression is up-regulated and restricted to a subpopulation of tumour cells in both human and ApcMin/+ mouse. Our data also showed that v) FLYWCH1 controls CRC cell morphology and inhibits cell migration through up-regulation of E-cadherin which may not be related to ZEB2-mediated EMT.

Collectively, our data suggest that FLYWCH1 is a novel nuclear β-catenin interacting protein that inhibits cell motility by antagonizing the activity of Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. As changes in cell motility is a key step toward invasion and metastasis, FLYWCH1, therefore, may function as a metastasis-suppressing factor which could potentially be of use in the therapeutic field of colon cancer to control cancer spread.


Auctions are a potentially suitable policy tool for increasing the efficiency of Agri- Environmental Schemes (AES) through an improved allocation of contracts. In theory, through the auction mechanism, farmers have incentives to reveal their compliance costs, helping to reduce information rents and increase policy cost-effectiveness. The aim of this paper is to simulate the potential contribution of auction mechanisms to the efficiency of AES in Emilia-Romagna (Italy). The results show advantages for auctions compared with traditional flat rate payments based on average compliance costs. However, their performance is worse than flat payments based on marginal compliance costs.


This research is nestled within Huber, Murphy, and Clandinin's (2011) understanding of curriculum making as situated not only in schools, but also in homes and communities and at the intersections of all three. It also relies on Clandinin, Murphy, Huber, and Orr's (2010) reconceptualization of tension as a space where educative experiences can occur. An autobiographical narrative inquiry into home, school, and community curriculum making, highlights an educator's efforts to teach relationally while being wide-awake to how past experiences inform future ones. This inquiry brings to life tension-filled moments and, in so doing, creates a space to know teachers as curriculum makers at home, at school, and in the community. It also suggests one of the values of autobiographical narrative inquiry is the safe space it creates to empathically enter the world of others. Mostly it encourages the reader to think about curriculum making as sentient, ever changing, and as an available support as teachers struggle to sustain their practices.


In the United Kingdom, during the mid-20th century, Paul Wood appears as the new leader of European cardiology. He introduced rigorous bed-side diagnostic methods and the confirmation of these clinical findings by cardiac catheterization, in an effort to demonstrate the pathophysiological causes of cardiac disease. In his search for the correct diagnosis, his comments, which could be caustic, both impressed and offended many. He had a strong commanding personality and was intensely honest in his appreciations. His showmanship and diagnostic ability became renown. In 1950, the publishing of the first edition of his textbook "Diseases of the Heart and Circulation" brought him worldwide recognition. In this book, Wood introduces his personal fresh style of narrative and his physiologic approach to cardiology. His intense professional activity, teaching, lecturing and preparing the third edition of his book, plus the fact that he was a heavy smoker, must have been the factors that lead to a myocardial infarction and death at the early age of 54. As Paul Dudley White and Ignacio Chavez in America, Paul Wood in Europe will be remembered as the emblematic figure leading the transition of cardiology into the modern era.


Intensive greenhouse horticulture can cause various environmental problems. Among these, the management, storage, and processing of crop residues can provoke aquifer contamination, pest proliferation, bad odors, or the abuse of phytosanitary treatments. Biosolarization adds value to any fresh plant residue and is an efficient technique for the control of soil-borne diseases. This study aims to examine an alternative means of managing greenhouse crop residues through biosolarization and to investigate the influence of organic matter on yield and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, L.) fruit. With this purpose, the following nutritional systems were evaluated: inorganic fertilization with and without brassica pellets (Fert, Fert +, and Fert ++), fresh tomato plant debris with and without brassica pellets (Rest, Rest +, and Rest ++), and no fertilizer application (Control). The addition of organic matter was equal across all the treatments except for the control with regard to yield and quality of the tomato fruit. In light of these results, the application of tomato plant debris to the soil through biosolarization is postulated as an alternative for the management of crop residues, solving an environmental problem and having a favorable impact on the production and quality of tomatoes as a commercial crop.


Understanding and being able to manipulate intracellular signaling pathways which control VSMC gene expression and proliferation will be important in efforts to control neointimal hyperplastic vascular diseases. Activation of the protein kinase C (PKC) family of enzymes is a central event in growth factor-stimulated cells. PKC activation results in the activation of downstream protein kinases including mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK). PKC isozymes alpha (alpha) and delta (delta) predominate in cultured rat aortic VSMC and both isozymes are completely downregulated upon prolonged (16-24 hr) stimulation with the PKC activator, phorbol 12,13 dibutyrate (PDBu). At these low levels of PKC, MAPK activation in response to PDBu is nearly abolished. To assess the role of specific PKC isozymes in regulating MAPK, isozyme-specific antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) were used to inhibit reexpression of PKC in downregulated cells. ODNs were phosphorothioated to increase stability and contained C-5 propynyl modified pyrimidines which are reported to have increased binding affinity. ODNs were administered in low concentration (400 nM) with a cationic liposome carrier (Lipofectin; GibcoBRL). Optical imaging of cells treated with FITC-labeled ODNs confirmed that virtually all cells took up the ODNs within 2 hr. With this technique, PKCalpha-specific antisense ODNs selectively inhibited PKCalpha recovery compared to cells treated with an equal length nonsense ODN (76 +/- 3.9, P < 0.001), with no effect on recovery of PKCdelta. However, activation of MAPK by PDBu was not significantly inhibited in these PKCalpha downregulated cells. This suggests that only a small amount of the total PKCalpha is required for PDBu induced activation of MAPK and/or that PKCdelta can mediate the response. Manipulation of PKC isozymes using this model system should allow assessment of the roles of specific isozymes in controlling diverse downstream effectors and events related to VSMC growth and proliferation.


Detailed knowledge of age-related changes in the structure and mineralization of bones is important for interpreting osseous changes in wild mammals caused by exposure to environmental contaminants. This study analyzed mandibular size, microarchitecture and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in harbor seals (n = 93, age range 0.5 months to 25 years) from the German North Sea. Bone microarchitecture and vBMD were assessed using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT). Significant differences were observed between the analyzed age classes (i) young juveniles (0.5–10 months), (ii) yearlings (12–23 months), and (iii) adults (12–25 years) for several of the variables, indicating an overall increase in cortical and trabecular area, cortical thickness and total and cortical vBMD with age. Furthermore, for juvenile animals (≤ 23 months), significant positive correlations with age were observed for mandible length and perimeter, cortical area, cortical thickness, trabecular separation, and total and cortical vBMD. The findings demonstrate a rapid increase in overall size, cortical dimensions and the degree of mineralization of the harbor seal mandible during the first two years after birth. Negative correlations with age existed for trabecular number and thickness as well as for trabecular bone volume fraction in the juveniles. The findings suggest a reduction in trabecular bone volume fraction with age, due to the bone trabeculae becoming thinner, less numerous and more widely spaced. Given the strong age dependence of most analyzed parameters, it is recommended to standardize samples with respect to age in future studies comparing microarchitecture and mineralization of harbor seal mandibles from different populations or different collection periods.


Two new lead(II) phosphonates, namely, Pb2[PMIDA]*1.5H2O (1) (H4PMIDA = H2O3PCH2N(CH2CO2H)2) and Pb(H2L) (2) (H4L = CH3N(CH2PO3H2)2), have been synthesized by hydrothermal reactions at 150 degrees C. Complex 1 crystallized in tetragonal P42/n with cell dimensions of a = 17.317(7) and c = 7.507(5) A and Z = 8. In complex 1, Pb(1) is 6-coordinated by chelation in a tetradentate fashion by a PMIDA ligand (3 O, 1 N) and two phosphonate oxygen atoms from neighboring Pb(PMIDA) units in a severely distorted octahedral geometry, whereas Pb(2) is 6-coordinated by 4 carboxylate and 2 phosphonate oxygen atoms also with a severely distorted octahedral environment. These two different types of Pb(II) ions are interconnected through bridging carboxylate and phosphonate groups, resulting in a 3D network with micropores, whose cavity is filled by lattice water molecules interlinked via hydrogen bonds. Each PMIDA ligand bridges with 8 Pb(II) ions (3 Pb(1) and 5 Pb(2)). Complex 2 is orthorhombic, P2(1)2(1)2(1), with a = 7.382(5), b = 7.440(6), and c = 30.75(2) A and Z = 8. The structure of 2 features a 2D double lead(II) phosphonate layer along the ab plane. Each lead(II) ion is 5-coordinated by five phosphonate oxygen atoms from four ligands in a distorted trigonal bipyramid geometry. These double layers are further interconnected via hydrogen bonds between the protonated and uncoordinated phosphonate oxygens along the c-axis.


Retail purchasing groups consist of small, independent, specialised stores that join together and collaborate on purchasing and other areas. In comparison to large-scale corporate retail chains, often labelled mega-retailers, retail purchasing groups are based on collaborative external integration between a central unit and the independent, local dealers. The overall purpose of this research is to explore the specific characteristics that underscore a retail purchasing group. The paper has two research questions: (1) What are the strengths and weaknesses of a supply chain structure based on external integration?, and (2) In what areas is the purchasing groups' ownership structure particularly advantageous in comparison to the mega-retailers' vertically integrated organisations? This exploratory research is empirically grounded in a case study of two Swedish purchasing groups. The paper argues that under certain market conditions, a decentralised supply chain, which relies on collaborative external relationships, can provide a competitive alternative to a more traditional centralised structure. The paper elaborate three areas where the structure is particularly advantageous: (1) service-based competition in an industry otherwise focused on cost leadership, (2) in-depth understanding of local conditions and presence, and (3) the ability to incorporate entrepreneurial strengths and innovations in the supply chain.


Being a member of the baby boom generation, I have read a lot about what has been written about my generation and the generations that will follow. I've read articles and heard a multitude of news stories describing the next generation as being lazy, having a "me-first attitude," being poorly motivated and having an overall hedonistic attitude about life. In fact, if you were to believe some of the information, you might conclude that our country is doomed to failure if left in the hands of this next generation.


The periodic cartilage and smooth muscle structures in mammalian trachea are derived from tracheal mesoderm, and tracheal malformation results in serious respiration defects in neonates. To establish a human tracheal mesodermal development model, an in vitro differentiation protocol from pluripotent stem cells was desired. Here we show that endodermal-to-mesodermal canonical Wnt signaling induces trachea progenitors in mouse splanchnic mesoderm. Loss of β-catenin in fetal mouse mesoderm caused loss of Tbx4+ tracheal mesoderm and trachea cartilage agenesis. We found that endodermal Wnt ligands promote mesodermal Tbx4 expression independent of known Nkx2.1-mediated respiratory endoderm development. In vitro, activating Wnt and Bmp signaling in mouse ES cell (ESC)-derived lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) generated tracheal mesoderm containing chondrocytes and smooth muscle cells. For human ESC-derived LPM, SHH activation was required along with Wnt to generate authentic tracheal mesoderm. These findings are foundations for deriving human tracheal mesoderm for applications in tracheal tissue repair.


Retention of water-soluble nutrients, prevention of solid loss and elimination of
waste water generation are some of the advantages of dry blanching. Dry blanching
of red bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) slices using infrared (IR) and microwave
(MW) radiations was attempted and its performance was compared with
conventional water and steam blanching methods. Processing conditions (time
and temperature) were standardized on the basis of degree of enzyme inactivation
(peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase). Effect of blanching methods on retention of
micronutrients such as ascorbic acid, β-carotene and protein, besides product
shrinkage, structure and texture (shearing force) were analyzed. Water and steam
blanching were found to need lower processing time (1.0 and 1.5 min, respectively)
compared with IR (6.0 min) and MW blanching (3.0 min). However,
MW-blanched samples retained higher amounts of ascorbic acid (94.7%). Dry
blanching with IR (150C) and MW (17.5 W/g) resulted in higher retention of
β-carotene (103.2 and 118.6%, respectively) compared with water (60.3%) and
steam blanching (88.3%). Dry blanching resulted in moisture loss (1–6%) and
shrinkage, perhaps resulting in higher shearing force observed in dry blanched
slices. Scanning electron micrographs indicated that method of blanching has a
role on extent of effect on cell structure.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Red bell pepper is a rich source of ascorbic acid and β-carotene. This study
explored the possibilities of dry blanching red bell pepper using infrared and
microwave radiation as a potential alternative to water and steam blanching. The
dry blanching is expected to retain higher amount of nutrients, reduce solid loss
and eliminate effluent generation besides being convenient to operate.


Recent research suggests that the nucleolus communicates with the p53 regulatory system and acts as a stress sensor. Cellular stress causes nucleolar disruption, triggering the release of regulatory factors to the nucleoplasm. These factors, especially ARF (alternative reading frame), inhibit the degradation of p53, thereby facilitating its intracellular accumulation.


Navigation using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is common for autonomous vehicles (ground or air). Unfortunately, GNSS-based navigation solutions are often susceptible to jamming, interference, and a limited number of satellites. A proposed technique to aid in navigation when a GNSS-based system fails is magnetic navigation - navigation using the Earth's magnetic anomaly field. This solution comes with its own set of problems including the need for quality magnetic maps in every area in which magnetic navigation will be used. Many of the currently available magnetic maps are generated from a combination of dated magnetic surveys, resulting in maps riddled with spatially correlated errors, the correlation structure of which is largely unknown. The correlations are further confounded while navigating because they depend on how fast a vehicle moves through the map in addition to the original correlated error structure. Traditionally, this spatial correlation has been handled by introducing a First Order Gauss-Markov (FOGM) noise model into the estimation routine, with the FOGM parameters set somewhat arbitrarily. In this paper, we investigate the possibility of using correlation agnostic fusion techniques (i.e., Covariance Intersection and Probabilistically Conservative Fusion) for magnetic navigation. These techniques have the advantage of not requiring any parameter tuning; the same method and tuning parameters are used regardless of the spatial correlation. We demonstrate that utilizing probabilistically conservative fusion leads to navigation results that are better than many tuned approaches and reasonably close to the best possible tuning parameters of a FOGM.


The aims of this study were considered below under three headings. At these headings; the first was to elicit misconceptions that students had on the terms heat and temperature. The second was to understand how students' prior learning affected their misconceptions. The third was to determine if students were able to make a connection between their own knowledge and physics in everyday life. To achieve these aims, a paper andpencil test composed of 14 multiple-chosen questions was designed, but only five questions related to heat and temperature. The test was administered to 342 students from different grades that ranged from grade 6 with students aged 11-12 years to Grade 8 with students aged 14-15 years. For this research qualitative methods were used. As a result of the analyses undertaken, it was found that students' misunderstanding about the heat and temperature influenced their knowledge about these terms. Moreover, it was found that students had difficulties making connections between their knowledge and life experiences. Therefore, it was concluded that although students' conceptions and misconceptions were acquired and stored, they occurred without ostensible links between everyday life and school experiences. Furthermore, depending on the instruction students received and over time, it was deduced that their conceptual understanding showed a steady increase from Grade 6 to Grade 8, except in the case of Item 1.


This Electronic Health (E-Health) is a broad expression that enables the communication between healthcare professionals in handling patient information through the cloud. Exchanging medical data over the public cloud requires securing transferring for the data that's direct many researchers in proposing different secure schemes to enable users to handle data safely without hacking or alternating. In this study, one of the most common encryption algorithms called Triple Data Encryption Standard (Triple-DES) has been implemented with the aid of the hash function and DNA cryptography base to encrypt different biosignals into DNA format to add a security layer for the proposed system.


Breast cancer is a disease of genomic alterations, of which the complete panorama of somatic mutations and how these relate to molecular subtypes and therapy response is incompletely understood. Within the Sweden Cancerome Analysis Network–Breast project (SCAN-B; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02306096), an ongoing study elucidating the tumor transcriptomic profiles for thousands of breast cancers prospectively, we developed an optimized pipeline for detection of single nucleotide variants and small insertions and deletions from RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data, and profiled a large real-world population-based cohort of 3,217 breast tumors. We use it to describe the mutational landscape of primary breast cancer viewed through the transcriptome of a large population-based cohort of patients, and relate it to patient overall survival. We demonstrate that RNA-seq can be used to call mutations in important breast cancer genes such as PIK3CA, TP53, and ERBB2, as well as the status of key molecular pathways and tumor mutational burden, and identify potentially druggable genes in 86.8% percent of tumors. To make this rich and growing mutational portraiture of breast cancer available for the wider research community, we developed an open source web-based application, the SCAN-B MutationExplorer, accessible at http://oncogenomics.bmc.lu.se/MutationExplorer. These results add another dimension to the use of RNA-seq as a potential clinical tool, where both gene expression-based and gene mutation-based biomarkers can be interrogated simultaneously and in real-time within one week of tumor sampling.


A 3-year-old castrated male, American Pit Bull Terrier presented to Texas A&M University due to a 3-week mixed cerebellar and general proprioceptive ataxia, circling, head tilt, and dull mentation. Neurologic examination revealed signs of vestibular and mesencephalic dysfunction. Postmortem examination revealed a 1.1 × 1 × 0.8-cm, soft, dark red, well-circumscribed, left-sided mass, extending from the crus cerebri of the midbrain caudally to the pons. Microscopically, the neoplasm was composed of a spindle-shaped interstitial population of cells interspersed between a prominent capillary network, consistent with the reticular pattern of hemangioblastoma. Interstitial cells had strong, diffuse, intracytoplasmic immunolabeling for neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and were variably positive for intracytoplasmic glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Vascular endothelial cells had strong diffuse, intracytoplasmic immunolabeling for von Willebrand factor (VWF) glycoprotein. To date, only six cases of hemangioblastoma have been reported in canines, five in the spinal cord, and one in the rostral cerebrum. Our case may represent the first canine hemangioblastoma localized to the brainstem.


(1) Introduction: BEAM is a high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) frequently administered before autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Bendamustine replacing BCNU (BeEAM) is similarly effective at lower toxicities. However, relapse remains the major cause of death in DLBCL. (2) Methods: This is a 12-patient pilot study of the BeEAM preparative regimen with additional polatuzumab vedotin (PV, targeting CD79b) aiming to establish feasibility and to reduce toxicity without increasing the early progression rate. PV was given once at the standard dose of 1.8 mg/kg at day −6 together with BeEAM-HDCT (days −7 to −1) before ASCT. (3) Results: 8/12 patients (67%) received PV with BeEAM as a consolidation of first-line treatment, and 4/12 patients (33%) received PV with BeEAM after relapse treatment. All patients experienced complete engraftment (neutrophils: median 11 days; platelets: 13 days). Gastrointestinal toxicities occurred in 7/12 patients (58%, grade 3). All patients developed neutropenic infections with at least one identified pathogen (bacterial: 10/12 patients; viral: 2/12; and fungal: 1/12). The complete remission rate by PET-CT 100 days post-ASCT was 92%, with one mortality due to early progression. Eleven out of twelve patients (92%) were alive without progression after a median follow-up of 15 months. (4) Conclusions: Our study with 12 patients suggests that combining PV with BeEAM HDCT is feasible and safe, but the limited cohort prevents definite conclusions regarding efficacy. Larger cohorts must be evaluated.


This article discusses the current and emerging status of contemporary developmental science and present predictions about the growth of the field by 2025. Key contemporary features of developmental science involve a theoretical focus on models derived from the relational developmental systems, metamodel, a methodological focus on quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods analytic approaches. Emerging foci involve an integrative understanding of evolution and of epigenetics, methodological innovations predicated on the idiographic nature of intraindividual change and on the use of systems science and econometric methods, and the use of relation developmental systems-based evidence to enact applications to optimize human development and to promote social justice.


Paleoecological data are integral to ecological and evolutionary analyses. First, they provide an opportunity to study ecological and evolutionary interactions between communities and abiotic environments across time scales. Second, they allow us to study the long-term outcomes of processes that occur infrequently, such as megadroughts, hurricanes, and rapid climate change. Third, the past allows us to study ecological processes in the absence of widespread anthropogenic influence. The R package neotoma, described here, obtains and manipulates data from the NeotomaPaleoecological Database (Neotoma Database: http://www.neotomadb.org ). The Neotoma Database is a public-domain searchable repository for multiproxypaleoecological records spanning the past 5 million years. The Neotoma Database provides the data and cyberinfrastructure to study spatiotemporal dynamics of species and communities from the Pliocene to the present; neotoma provides a user interface to enable these studies. neotoma searches the Neotoma Database using terms that can include location, taxon name, or dataset type (e.g., pollen, vertebrate fauna, ostracode) using the Database's Application Programming Interface (API). The package returns a set of nested metadata associated with the site, including the full assemblage record, geochronological data to enable the rebuilding of age models, dataset metadata (e.g. age range of samples, date of accession into Neotoma, principal investigator), and site metadata (e.g. location, site name and description). neotoma also provides tools to allow cross-site analysis, including the ability to standardize taxonomies using built-in taxonomies derived from the published literature or user-provided taxonomies. We show how key functions in the neotoma package can be used, by reproducing analytic examples from the published literature focusing on Pinus migration following deglaciation and shifts in mammal species distributions during the Pleistocene.


This article evaluates a new procedure for choosing special methods of disintegration for technogenic rock materials with fines and slimes. The article describe different examples of beneficiation technology for chromium-containing slime tails of the Donskoy beneficiation plant (Republic of Kazakhstan), hematite tails of Magnitogorskiy Metallurgical Plant, and tin waste with fines particles.
Keywords: fine slimes, environmental component, technological schemes, Preparation technogenic waste


Childhood obesity is emerging as a major health problem among early adolescent school children. The present study is a cross sectional, questionnaire based study carried out among 220 early adolescent school children in an urban slum of metropolitan city using WHO (2007) recommended cut-off points. Among the total study population, 58% were boys and 42% were girls. As per age wise distribution, 35% were from 10-11, 31% from 11-12 and 34% from 12-13 years of age group. The overall prevalence rates of underweight, normal, overweight were 75.6%, 19%, 5.45% respectively. Though none of the study subjects were frankly obese, the prevalence of overweight/obese was 5.45%. It was noted that the majority of study subjects 166(75%) were either thin or severe thin. In the context of present study, the high prevalence of under nutrition may be due to their low calorie intake and lack of awareness on proper eating habits. Present study highlighted the existence of childhood under nutrition as a threat, which is likely to persist to adult life among these school children. Hence it is recommended that the teachers and the parents should be sensitized for the maintenance of healthy eating habits among the adolescent age group. Keywords : Obesity, Overweight, Early adolescent, Urban slum


Bacterial communities in the surface layer of the oceans consist of a few abundant phylotypes and many rare ones, most with unknown ecological functions and unclear roles in biogeochemical processes. To test hypotheses about relationships between abundant and rare phylotypes, we examined bacterial communities in the western Arctic Ocean using pyrosequence data of the V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Samples were collected from various locations in the Chukchi Sea, the Beaufort Sea and Franklin Bay in summer and winter. We found that bacterial communities differed between summer and winter at a few locations, but overall there was no significant difference between the two seasons in spite of large differences in biogeochemical properties. The sequence data suggested that abundant phylotypes remained abundant while rare phylotypes remained rare between the two seasons and among the Arctic regions examined here, arguing against the 'seed bank' hypothesis. Phylotype richness was calculated for various bacterial groups defined by sequence similarity or by phylogeny (phyla and proteobacterial classes). Abundant bacterial groups had higher within-group diversity than rare groups, suggesting that the ecological success of a bacterial lineage depends on diversity rather than on the dominance of a few phylotypes. In these Arctic waters, in spite of dramatic variation in several biogeochemical properties, bacterial community structure was remarkably stable over time and among regions, and any variation was due to the abundant phylotypes rather than rare ones.


Etanercept is a dimeric fusion protein that has been approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, active ankylosing spondylitis and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. It has been reported to be useful in other variants of psoriasis, Still's disease, recurrent aphthous ulcers, and a variety of rare cutaneous conditions. Its cutaneous side effects are rare and include injection site reactions, cutaneous lupus, and cutaneous vasculitis. Its systemic side effects are also rare and include induction or worsening of infections, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and congestive heart failure. Linkage to an increased risk of lymphoma is unclear. In short, etanercept is a promising medication with substantial benefits and use will probably increase in the future. This review surveys off-label uses and side effects of etanercept.


Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a neutrophil chemotactic and activating cytokine that is produced in response to several stimuli. Because monocytic cells are important producers of IL-8, we investigated whether interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), a potent inducer of activation and differentiation of mononuclear phagocytes, affected IL-8 expression in this cell lineage. We found a low constitutive level of IL-8 mRNA expression that was upregulated by IFN-gamma in a dose- and time-dependent manner and via a protein-synthesis-dependent process in the human monocytic cell line U937. IL-8 protein secretion was also stimulated by IFN-gamma. Nuclear run-on experiments showed that the IL-8 gene was transcriptionally active in control cells and that IFN-gamma did not enhance the transcriptional activity. The increase in IL-8 mRNA by IFN-gamma was concomitant with the stabilization of the mRNA and, therefore, controlled primarily at a posttranscriptional level. These results represent the first evidence that IFN-gamma upregulates IL-8 gene expression in cells of the monocytic lineage, and show the involvement of posttranscriptional mechanisms in the induction of IL-8 mRNA.


ALADDIN is an interactive facility for debugging and testing of assembly language programs. ALADDIN differs from traditional debuggers by allowing the user to specify breakpoint assertions, rather than breakpoint locations. Assertions are logical relations among various components of the program state. If an assertion becomes false during execution of the object program a breakpoint is executed and control is passed to the user's terminal. ALADDIN can also be used as a testing tool to verify that asserted behavior matches actual behavior under various sets of input data and test conditions.


In this article, konjac flour, super absorptive resin and pellet urea were added into flexible polyurethane foamed plastic with polyether polyol and isocyanate as the raw materials by a new water-foamed technology to manufacture a kind of absorptive and biodegraded polyurethane foamed fertilizer. Polyurethane foam was used as a carrier material and konjac flour was used as a biodegradable agent. The results showed that the slow-release velocity of urea could be controlled by regulating the densities of polyurethane foams, the content of konjac flour and super absorptive resin. The carrier material could be degraded konjac flour by naturally.


Three populations of Capitella sp. submitted to three different environmental conditions were monitored during one year in Alfacs Bay (Ebro Delta, NW Mediterranean) to estimate their respective contributions to the secondary production. Yearly secondary production of Capitella sp. at the three sites under study were 0.83 gDW. m-2. y-1 for the disturbed sand site, 3.74 gDW. m-2. y-1 for the typical silt site, and 36.9 gDW. m-2. y-1 for the disturbed silt site. The corresponding P/B ratios were of 4.09 y-1, 3.66 y-1 and 5.71 y-1, respectively. At the two silty sites, Capitella sp. presents: (1) a marked seasonal variability, and (2) high production rates and P/B ratios, which are two characteristics of opportunists. At the disturbed sand site its seasonal pattern is much more stable, and its production much lower (although P/B ratios are still high). The "within site" seasonal differences found between the three populations probably did not result from temporal changes in food quantity nor quality. Nevertheless, differences in protein concentrations may contribute to explain differences in maximal densities and biomasses observed among sites. Our results confirm that Capitella sp. shows a great plasticity relative to environment.


The optimization of the photooxidative process was carried out with the application of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to degrade Reactive Red 223 (RR223) dye. Operational parameters of U.V/H2O2 process such as irradiation time, initial [dye], initial [H2O2] and distance between U.V lamp and the solution were optimized with Central Composite Design (CCD). Correlation coefficient value of the CCD was obtained to be 79 %, showing the correctness of the model and the successful utilization of CCD in getting desired levels of the factors of the process. Moreover, the optimum points were located with the graphical surface and contour plots. At the optimal conditions, the photooxidative removal of the color and COD were observed to be 68%, 81%, respectively. Furthermore, the pseudo-second order kinetic was guiding the removal of the dye in the process. Subsequently, the electrical energy consumption was estimated in term of the merit electrical energy per order (EEO). The figure of merit of the process was found to be 252 kWhm order. The cost of the treatment was also calculated to be US$ 25/m.


This research is motivated by the increasingly advanced technological developments, especially in terms of the use of social media. Social media in the era of advances in information technology allows us to more freely relate to people in various parts of the world. This can have both positive and negative impacts. One thing that needs to be addressed is the easier it is for foreign cultures to enter through social media which can affect national identity. Therefore, Pancasila as the nation's view of life means that Pancasila is the guideline for every behavior of the Indonesian nation. The values contained in Pancasila should be able to become a filter against incoming foreign cultures due to the easier access to social media in the current era of technological advancement. The formulation and purpose of this research is to provide a descriptive analysis of the application of Pancasila values as a filter against foreign cultures in the era of advances in social media information technology. The method used in this research is qualitative with a descriptive analysis approach. The data analysis technique used is content analysis. The benefits of this research are; 1) this research can be used as a reference for further similar studies, 2) this research can be used as an illustration of the application of Pancasila values in the filtering of foreign cultures in the era of advancing social media technology.


The passage of Mill's Utilitarianism that sets out the condition in which one pleasure has a superior quality than another stokes interpretive controversy. According to the Lexical Interpretation, Mill takes one pleasure, P1 , to be of a superior quality than another, P2 , if, and only if, the smallest quantity of P1 is more valuable than any finite quantity of P2 . This paper argues that, while the Lexical Interpretation may be supported with supplementary evidence, the passage itself does not rule out qualitative superiority without lexical dominance, as it only requires P1 to be more valuable than any quantity of P2 that it is possible for someone to experience. Some will object that this concession to opponents of the Lexical Interpretation still renders Mill's condition for qualitative superiority too demanding to be plausible. However, if Mill's qualitative rankings apply to higher-order pleasures taken in modes of existence as such rather than to the pleasures of different activities chosen from within these modes, the objection loses much of its force. One upshot is that Mill may have more to contribute to debates in contemporary population axiology than is usually acknowledged.


Probability models are developed for the failure of parallel brittle fibres embedded in a relatively soft plastic matrix. A loss of load-bearing occurs in the region surrounding a fibre break, resulting in a concentration of stress in neighbouring fibres. These stress concentrations cannot be measured directly, but by assuming them to be a chosen function of unknown parameters, the failure of the composite may be modelled. It is then shown how the stress concentration parameters may be estimated using the method of maximum likelihood. The technique is illustrated using experimental data for different materials, and in particular, it is shown how the stress concentration parameters vary with fibre spacing. The appearance of breaks along a fibre is, in nature, a point process. Load-sharing between two fibre processes will lead to a degree of nearly coincidental breaks. The degree to which 'coincidences' or 'matchings' occur in two independent point processes is examined. An unusually high degree of matching can be defined, and used to infer that processes are not independent. The exact analysis for a fibre-break process is intractable, but several approximate alternatives are studied, and compared with real and simulated data. The probability models for composite failure rely on assumptions about the underlying strength of the fibres. Principally, the 'weakest-link' property is assumed, frequently characterised by use of the Weibull distribution. A non-parametric test of this property is devised, and specially designed experiments show that weakest-link is apparently open to considerable doubt. It is shown that the existence of different causes of failure, all of which may not be present all of the time, give rise to some new types of failure model. It is demonstrated that these do not have the weakest-link property, even when based on the Weibull distribution, and that they are consistent with some experimental results.


The larvae of the fish Astyanax mexicanus transiently develop a flat and adhesive structure on the top of their heads that we have called "the casquette" (cas, meaning "hat"). We hypothesized that the cas may be a teleostean homolog of the well-studied Xenopus cement gland, despite their different positions and structures. Here we show that the cas has an ectodermal origin, secretes mucus, expresses bone morphogenic protein 4 (Bmp4) and pituitary homeobox 1/2 (Pitx1/2), is innervated by the trigeminal ganglion and serotonergic raphe neurons, and has a role in the control and the development of the larval swimming behavior. These developmental, connectivity, and behavioral functional data support a level of deep homology between the frog cement gland and the Astyanax cas and suggest that attachment organs can develop in varied positions on the head ectoderm by recruitment of a Bmp4-dependent developmental module. We also show that the attachment organs of the cichlid Tilapia mariae larvae display some of these features. We discuss the possibility that these highly diversified attachment glands may be ancestral to chordates and have been lost repetitively in many vertebrate classes.


This paper provides a formal model for the burden of persuasion in dialogues, and in particular, in legal proceedings. The model shows how an allocation of the burden of persuasion may induce single outcomes in dialectical contexts in which, without such an allocation, the status of conflicting arguments would remain undecided. Our approach is based on a two-stage labelling. The first-stage labelling determines what arguments are accepted, rejected or undecided, regardless of the allocation of burden. The second-stage labelling revises the dialectical status of first-stage undecided arguments, according to burdens of persuasion. The labelling is finally extended in such a way as to obtain a complete labelling. Our model combines two ideas that have emerged in the debate on the burden of persuasion: the idea that the burden of persuasion determines the solution of conflicts between arguments, and the idea that its satisfaction depends on the dialectical status of the arguments concerned. Our approach also addresses inversions of the burden of persuasion, namely, cases in which the burden of persuasion over an argument does not extend to its subarguments.


Abstract : Techniques employed in origami are of interest for the design of actuating structures with multiple defined geometric states. Most research in this area has focused on manipulating material chemistry or geometry to achieve folding, but crease development through full material thickness has not been studied in detail. Understanding creasing is crucial for establishing material selection guidelines in origami engineering applications. Identification of the precise failure mechanisms is critical for understanding the residual fold angle and selecting optimal materials for specific origami applications. To characterize crease formation and development, polymer films were folded using a modified parallel plate bending technique which was successfully modeled with Euler beam theory in the elastic regime. Fold angles measured after creasing provided a means to quantitatively describe a material's ability to retain a fold, and degree of plastic deformation incurred during folding. SEM micrographs of creased regions revealed tensile deformations on exterior crease surfaces while compressive deformations such as wrinkling occurred inside. Profilometry was performed on crease interiors to identify and measure wrinkle topology. It was found that increased dissipative plastic deformation led to retention of smaller fold angles. These characterization techniques can be used as a means of classifying and organizing polymers by potential usefulness in structural origami applications.


Globally, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are seen as a significant driving force behind delivering development services. There is universal consensus within the development community that development service delivery will be incomplete without the involvement of NGOs. Thus, many NGOs across the globe complement governments' efforts in development service delivery, a situation that has occasioned a rapid rise in both the volume and scale of operations of NGOs. Nonetheless, there is a growing debate regarding the conceptual intentions of NGOs. While some scholars believe that NGOs effectively provide development services, others have suggested that development service delivery does not constitute a critical component of NGOs' agenda. There is also the issue of whether or not the approaches NGOs employ in development services are participatory enough. While some scholars opine that participatory development communication approaches characterize NGOs' development services, others maintain that participation is merely rhetoric value within the NGO sector. These contending views risk an obliteration of the continuing relevance of NGOs in development discourse. This paper seeks to contribute to the debate on the place of NGOs in development services and the approaches NGOs employ in contemporary development practice. The authors posit that NGOs occupy a central place in development service provision but concede that NGO operations in development services are not without challenges. The authors argue further that NGOs' role in development services can better be appreciated based on a thorough understanding of the role of participatory development communication in development service provisions. The paper presents a review of the relevant conceptual and empirical literature on NGOs' activities in development services and concludes by identifying lessons that should engage the attention of key stakeholders.


When planning a Phase III clinical trial, suppose a certain subset of patients is expected to respond particularly well to the new treatment. Adaptive enrichment designs make use of interim data in selecting the target population for the remainder of the trial, either continuing with the full population or restricting recruitment to the subset of patients. We define a multiple testing procedure that maintains strong control of the familywise error rate, while allowing for the adaptive sampling procedure. We derive the Bayes optimal rule for deciding whether or not to restrict recruitment to the subset after the interim analysis and present an efficient algorithm to facilitate simulation‐based optimisation, enabling the construction of Bayes optimal rules in a wide variety of problem formulations. We compare adaptive enrichment designs with traditional nonadaptive designs in a broad range of examples and draw clear conclusions about the potential benefits of adaptive enrichment.


This paper introduces a general approach to design a tailored solution to detect rare events in different industrial applications based on Internet of Things (IoT) networks and machine learning algorithms. We propose a general framework based on three layers (physical, data and decision) that defines the possible designing options so that the rare events/anomalies can be detected ultra-reliably. This general framework is then applied in a well-known benchmark scenario, namely Tennessee Eastman Process. We then analyze this benchmark under three threads related to data processes: acquisition, fusion and analytics. Our numerical results indicate that: (i) event-driven data acquisition can significantly decrease the number of samples while filtering measurement noise, (ii) mutual information data fusion method can significantly decrease the variable spaces and (iii) quantitative association rule mining method for data analytics is effective for the rare event detection, identification and diagnosis. These results indicates the benefits of an integrated solution that jointly considers the different levels of data processing following the proposed general three layer framework, including details of the communication network and computing platform to be employed.


Spatiotemporal properties of classical coupled nonlinear oscillators are investigated in this thesis. Chapter 1 gives an introduction to nonlinear lattices and to the concept of breathers, that are spatially localized and temporally periodic excitation in nonlinear lattices. The concept of anti-continuous limit that provides the basic methodology in probing spatiotemporal breather properties is discussed. In Chapter 2, the general approach for finding exact breather solutions from the anti-continuous limit is examined, and the rotating wave approximation(RWA) is applied to probe the spatial structure of static breathers. Numerical evidence reveals that the RWA relates the spatial structure of stable multi-breathers to a single breather of the same frequency. Chapter 3 presents linear stability analysis of static breathers and gives a systematic way to construct mobile breathers. Formation and collision properties of this moving breathers are also studied. Chapter 4 discusses dynamics of kinks and anti-kinks in hydrogen-bonded chains in the context of two-component soliton model. From molecular dynamics simulations with finite temperature, it is observed that, in a real system (eg. ice), a pair of kink and anti-kink can evolve into a moving-breather-like excitation. Chapter 5 is devoted to the understand of the effects of disorder in the Holstein model. The summary is given in Chapter 6.


Fifteen patients who had undergone aortic reconstructions were examined. Hemorheologic studies were performed at the following stagest initial anesthesia, the end of operation, the early postoperative period, and the 2nd-3rd days after operation. A study was made of blood viscosity at a shift rate 5-300 s(-1), of suspension stability, caisson viscosity (CV), and the yield stress (YS). The back light diffusion intensity was recorded on the erythroaggregometer ADE=5 (Russia) to evaluate the time of linear aggregate formation (T(1)), the time of three-dimensional aggregate formation (T(2)), characteristics of the end size of the aggregates (Ampl), total hydrodynamic strength of the aggregates (Beta), strength index of especially large aggregates (Ia((2,5))). The index of erythrocyte aggregation (IEA) and the index of erythrocyte deformation (IED) were also computed. Initially, the normal blood viscosity values were marked. However, in the early postoperative period, their values returned to the preoperative level. In patients with complications, blood viscosity appreciably rose, exceeding the preoperative parameters. At the end of operation there was a decrease in erythrocyte aggregation, especially due to the TT(1) and Ampl rise, while beta dropped. In the postoperative period, patients without complications demonstrated the growth of erythrocyte aggregation but Ampl of cell aggregation diminished. In the postoperative period, patients with complications showed a considerable intensification of erythrocyte aggregation due to the rise of Ampl, Beta and Ia((2,5)). Toward the end of operation a decrease of plasma viscosity was revealed in the presence of GV rise. In the postoperative period, patients with complications demonstrated the growth of plasma viscosity concurrently with CV lowering. Toward the end of operation the YS increased. However, in patients with the uncomplicated postoperative period, the magnitude of this parameter dropped and reached permissible values in the given patient group whereas in patients with complications, the YS remained significantly high.


OBJECTIVES
To determine the location of distal medial neurovascular structures, identifying a medial "safe zone" for minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis to treat displaced femoral condylar fractures.

METHODS
Eleven uninjured lower-half torsos were dissected on the bilateral medial lower thigh. A longitudinal incision was made at the midsagittal plane of the medial thigh starting 1 cm proximal to the knee joint and extending to the proximal one-third of the femur. Superficial and deep neurovascular structures were dissected. Distances to the medial vastus and adductor compartment were measured.

RESULTS
Mean distances were 160 ± 31.4 mm from the adductor tubercle to Hunter's canal; 94 ± 18.3 mm from adductor tubercle to adductor hiatus; 31.8 ± 9.21 mm from Hunter's canal to the femoral shaft; and 31.7 ± 7.78 mm from adductor hiatus to femoral shaft. All specimens had a descending genicular artery (DGA) with a mean distance to the adductor tubercle of 98.4 ± 16.0 mm. The muscular branch of the DGA crossed the femoral shaft at approximately 50 mm from the adductor tubercle; the osteoarticular branch ran along the adductor magnus tendon. The nerve to the vastus medialis was at the posterior border of the vastus medialis, entering at a mean 143 ± 63.0 mm from the adductor tubercle.

CONCLUSIONS
Minor neurovascular braches of the DGA may be vulnerable during medial femoral condyle plating. Careful blunt dissection, proper instrumentation, and plate length within 160 mm allow distal medial femur fixation without additional proximal dissection.


Using a standard complete specialization model of a small open economy within a rigorous intertemporal optimization framework with contract-based wage rigidity, we show that permanent tariffs lead to a current account deterioration and a fall in employment, contradicting most of the literature on macro-economic effects of import tariffs. The crucial factor in this complete reversal of standard results is the impact of tariffs on domestic real product wages via wage indexation. Temporary tariffs will have less of a negative impact on the CA or potentially even a positive impact, because they increase the consumption rate of interest (the terms at which future consumption can be traded for current consumption) and so increase private savings. Extensions towards incorporating a more general production structure, investment and the use of tariff revenues to provide wage subsidies are presented.


We evaluate the Violent Offender Identification Directive (VOID) tool, a risk prediction instrument implemented within a police department to identify offenders likely to be involved with future gun violence. VOID uses a variety of static measures of prior criminal history that are available in police records management systems. The VOID tool is assessed for predictive accuracy by taking a historical sample and calculating scores for over 200,000 individuals known to the police at the end of 2012, and predicting 103 individuals involved with gun violence (either as a shooter or a victim) during 2013. Despite weights for the instrument being determined in an ad hoc manner, the VOID tool does very well in predicting involvement with gun violence compared with an optimized logistic regression and generalized boosted models. We discuss theoretical reasons why such ad hoc instruments are likely to perform well in identifying chronic offenders for all police departments.